[Chinese Pastry Culture Museum] Hands-on Course Experience: October-December 2026
From October through December 2026, the Old Zhennan Han-bing Cultural Center in Kaohsiung’s Daliao District is running a limited-time hands-on course experience. It combines a Han-bing pastry-making class with a visit to the brand exhibition and one set of Han-bing afternoon tea. The schedules below are valid for this period, but final course dates are subject to the center’s actual calendar.
Two Experience Itineraries
Cultural Light Journey
- Contents: Simple handmade course (starting from semi-finished products) + Free visit to the brand exhibition + One set of Han-bing afternoon tea
- Total duration: Approximately 1.5 hours
Cultural Slow Journey
- Contents: In-depth handmade course (starting from flour) + Free visit to the brand exhibition + One set of Han-bing afternoon tea
- Total duration: Approximately 2 hours
The Light Journey is the quicker option; it works with semi-finished products. The Slow Journey is the fuller experience, starting from flour and taking participants through more of the pastry-making process.
Course Schedule, October–December 2026
| Time Slot | Course | Itinerary | Portion | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00–12:00 | Eight-Tael Han-bing | Cultural Slow Journey | 1 portion | 1,200 TWD |
| 13:30–15:00 | Christmas Cedar | Cultural Light Journey | 4 pieces | 800 TWD |
| 15:30–17:00 | Winter Chrysanthemum | Cultural Light Journey | 4 pieces | 800 TWD |
Practical Information
- Participants must be at least 6 years old; registration is not accepted for children under 6.
- Only registered participants may enter the baking classroom, to maintain high teaching quality.
Location
The experience takes place at the Old Zhennan Han-bing Cultural Center, No. 298, Jiexi Rd., Daliao District, Kaohsiung City. The venue is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Daliao MRT Station.
For accommodation near the venue:
🛏️ Hotels near the event
What is han-bing?
Han-bing (漢餅) is a traditional Taiwanese pastry with origins in Chinese baking. It has been made in Taiwan for generations, appearing on tables for everyday meals and formal occasions alike. Unlike Western cakes, han-bing relies on a short list of ingredients: wheat flour, lard or butter, sugar, and natural fillings. The technique, however, is not simple. Achieving the characteristic layered, flaky crust requires careful control of dough consistency, temperature, and rolling.
Common fillings include mung bean paste, red bean paste, taro, black sesame, candied winter melon, and salted egg yolk. Savory versions may add pork floss or ham. The pastries are usually round, a shape associated with completeness and reunion. This makes them a familiar presence at weddings, festivals, ancestor worship, and family gatherings, where offering han-bing is a conventional way to express good wishes.
At the Kaohsiung Old Zhennan Han-bing Cultural Center, visitors can learn these techniques firsthand. The 2026 hands-on course teaches participants to shape, layer, and bake their own pastries, using methods that have been preserved and transmitted over more than a century. By the end, each participant has followed the same process used by professional bakers and has a finished pastry to show for it.
